Money available for water cleanup projects

NORTH SIMCOE – Even as native protesters across the country slam Ottawa over removing protection for some lakes and rivers, the federal government is trumpeting a five-year, $29-million fund for cleanup projects throughout Lake Simcoe and southeastern Georgian Bay.
In Jackson’s Point on Monday, far from the “Idle No More” protests that have drawn belated attention to certain parts of Bill C-45, the Stephen Harper government’s budget implementation legislation, York-Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan announced the fund on behalf of Environment Minister Peter Kent.
The Lake Simcoe/Southeastern Georgian Bay Cleanup Fund aims to restore the ecological health of Lake Simcoe and southeastern Georgian Bay – including Severn Sound and waterfront communities from Penetanguishene north to the French River – and improve water quality for the residents and wildlife of the region.
“Lake Simcoe and southeastern Georgian Bay are important natural resources, vital sources of drinking water and regional economic drivers. Our government is proud to contribute to projects that will help ensure the long-term sustainability of Canada’s lakes and waterways,” Van Loan stated in a press release.
The fund will support community projects focused on such goals as reducing phosphorous inputs from urban and rural sources, and restoring fish and aquatic wildlife habitat and populations.
Critics have accused the federal government of taking a laissez-faire approach to water protection. Bill C-45 replaced the old Navigable Waters Protection Act, which covered 40,000 lakes and 2.5 million rivers across the country, with the Navigation Protection Act, which lists 97 lakes, 62 rivers and the three oceans along Canada’s coastline.
Opposition parties say that removes environmental oversight of these waterways and the manner in which the law will continue to be applied is haphazard. The Conservatives said the changes streamline regulation and remove red tape that unnecessarily held up projects along waterways.
Water quality and ecosystem health in parts of southeastern Georgian Bay are considered under threat due to shoreline development, excessive inputs of phosphorous, and nuisance and toxic algae growth.
Under the federal fund, up to two-thirds of the total cost of a project will be covered by Ottawa. The fund will support engineering-type studies, but will not support capital or operating costs of municipal infrastructure projects.
For additional information, go to www.ec.gc.ca/doc/eau-water/simcoe_e.html.